An Ottawa man who has spoken out about the poor quality of medical care his mother received in a city-run long-term care home, says he fears the city is putting up barriers to participation in long-term care “engagement meetings” it has scheduled for next week.

City officials promised town halls earlier this summer to talk about long-term care after the province issued a rare order telling the city to improve safety and care at its homes.

The order came amid chronic non-compliance issues at three of the city’s four long-term care homes and several high profile incidents, including the abuse of a resident by a personal support worker.

In a letter to city officials in charge of long-term care, Chris Bruton, whose mother is in long-term care, said he fears the city is creating an “unnecessary and potentially intimidating barrier to participation” in the meetings.

“Resident’s families may reasonably harbor fear that speaking out may put their loved ones at risk. Regardless of whether those concerns are justified, they surely exist. If your insistence on pre-registration silences even one family, you will have undermined your own process,” says the letter.

Bruton asked city officials to remove the requirement of name pre-registration for the meetings.

“The mere suggestion those attending these meetings are ‘on a list’ is repulsive.”

“I believe residents and their families deserve a venue in which they can share their concerns freely and without concern for backlash.”

Numerous family members have told the Citizen in recent months that they will not go public with concerns about long-term care because they fear reprisals against their loved ones.

One retired nurse whose mother is a resident of a city-run long-term care home said she was told she could no longer be in the room when her mother was being cared for. She also said her mother was no longer taken to use the bathroom after her complaint or given showers. The retired nurse’s complaints about poor hygiene control in a city-run nursing home led to a provincial order to improve conditions.

The city’s engagement meetings, which begin next week on Sept. 20, are part of its strategy to hear from patient’s families and talk to them about ongoing long-term care issues.

“The purpose of the consultations is to inform families, friends and volunteers about the work that is underway in response to recent events and to receive their suggestions for continuous improvement related to care, safety and services,” said Janice Burelle, the city’s general manager of community and social services, in a statement to the Citizen.

She added that families will “ have an equal opportunity to provide their feedback and share their comments about their loved one’s care in a private and confidential setting.”

Bruton said he is concerned that management presentations will eat up time needed for families to talk about their concerns and ask questions. He also asked city officials that management and staff from long-term care homes not be at the meetings, so that family members are comfortable enough to speak up.

He also said the meetings should be open to the media.

“The commitment made by the Mayor and Councillor Diane Deans was explicitly for ‘town halls’ not closed door meetings,” says his letter.

“I urge you to respect that promise and join concerned stakeholders in a fully open and candid process.”

Burelle said the sessions are “intended for people who play a role in, and who are directly impacted by the care and well-being of the residents.”

Burelle said the meetings are only open to residents, families, staff and volunteers at city-run long-term care homes.

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Man fears city putting up barriers to participation in long-term care meetings